


Unconventional Family

by accidentallyonpurpose



Category: Spider-Man - All Media Types, The Avengers (Marvel Movies), The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: Adoption, Domestic Avengers, Domestic Fluff, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/M, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Hurt/Comfort, Kid Peter Parker, M/M, Multi, Nightmares, Orphan Peter Parker, Panic Attacks, Peter Parker Needs a Hug, Post-Avengers: Age of Ultron (Movie), Tony Stark Has A Heart, or they wanna be, tony and steve are dads
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-15
Updated: 2018-08-29
Packaged: 2019-05-07 06:23:20
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 13,778
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14665152
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/accidentallyonpurpose/pseuds/accidentallyonpurpose
Summary: The Avengers are called to help with a peculiar case in an orphanage- but will they be able to handle a young Peter Parker with superhuman powers?





	1. First meeting

**Author's Note:**

> This is set post AoU but before Civil War in this happy little bubble where everyone gets along. Peter Parker's parents died for undisclosed reasons and there is no Aunt May/Uncle Ben to take him in, so he ends up in an orphanage.

Steve and Tony stepped out of the sports car, looking up at the two-storey house sprawled out in front of them. It was sandwiched between two other houses that were equally as ramshackle and wide-spread. It looked as if the people who had built the street had tried to fill each lot with as much building as possible, leaving little space between houses.

“Ready?” Steve asked.

“Always,” Tony answered, straightening his cuff. They made their way up the front walk, weaving their way through abandoned tricycles and soccer balls. When they reached the door, Steve leaned forward and rang the doorbell. They heard several voices from the other side of the door preceding it opening to reveal a frazzled-looking woman. 

“Thank you for coming today,” the woman said without preamble. “You have no idea how much I appreciate this.”

“It’s our pleasure. We’d like to help if we can,” Steve responded. 

The Avengers had received, through the PR team that handled them, a request for them to investigate a young boy who seemed to be displaying some sort of powers. When Tony had asked why someone at S.H.I.E.L.D. wasn’t handling it, Clint had butted in with a “you really want some kid thrown to a bunch of scientists?” All of the Avengers quickly decided together that they would at least look into it. They had sent Steve and Tony, as the semi-official leaders of the team, to scope out the situation and see if it was worth their time.

“My name’s Claire,” she said as she led the way through the clean but run-down house. “Pete’s just through this door. He’s very sweet, but a little more than I can handle here. I’m already run ragged as it is and with his… peculiarities…” Here she paused for a moment. “Well, I’ll jus take you in, shall I?” she had stopped at a door near the back of the house.

“Sure,” Tony agreed. 

She knocked on the door, opening it a crack and peering in. “Pete? I have some visitors here to see you.” She opened the door completely, revealing a small bedroom with a bed pushed up against the opposite wall, an armoire and a table. At the table was a small boy of about four, pencil gripped firmly in his hand and his tongue sticking out in concentration. As his door opened, Pete looked up, blinking owlishly from behind thick black frames. 

“Pete, these are Mr. Stark and Mr. Rogers,” Claire said.

“Tony and Steve, please,” Steve insisted.

“Hello,” Pete said, hand stilling over the paper. 

“What are you doing, there?” Steve asked, approaching Pete’s table.

“Math,” Pete answered simply, looking down at his paper. Steve put a hand on the back of Pete’s chair, leaning down beside him to peer closely at the paper. 

“Wow, that’s- Tony, come look at this. Pete, is this multiplication?”

“Yup,” Pete looked away shyly. 

Tony walked towards the table, looking at the papers sprawled out before Pete. “How old are you, Pete?” Tony asked.

“Four and a half,” he replied quietly. Tony’s eyebrows shot into his hairline and he whistled, impressed.

“That’s pretty good, Pete.” Tony wandered around the perimeter of the room, looking at the many different drawings on the wall. He noted that they were stuck to the wall with a white, sticky, stringy substance. Reaching a hand out curiously, Tony prodded the sticky mass. His finger sunk slightly in and he felt it adhere to his finger. Tony tried to pull his finger away, a trail of white joining his finger to the mass of white. “What is this?” Tony asked, trying to shake it from his finger. Taking a closer look, Tony noted clumps of the sticky mass all over the room, more concentrated in the corners. 

“Well, that’s part of the reason why we called you,” Claire told them. “Pete, can you show them?”

Pete looked at her apprehensively from his spot at the table. Nervously, he fiddled with the pencil in his hands. 

Steve, recognizing the look on Pete’s face, crouched down so he was level with the boy. “You won’t get in trouble, Pete. I promise.” Pete stood and walked around Steve, holding his hand out towards a wall. Quicker than Steve or Tony could track, a line of white flew from Pete’s hand and stuck to the wall. 

“What the fu-?”

“Tony,” Steve interrupted, a warning note clear in his voice. 

“…Heck,” Tony finished. “What was that, Pete?”

Pete, looking distressed, clasped his hands behind his back and looked down. 

“Pete, you’re not in trouble,” Tony said, walking over to the small pile of white goo that was sticking to the wall. “I was just surprised, that’s all.”

“How did you do that, Pete?” Steve asked gently. 

“Dunno. I just point and decide I wanna shoot web and it comes out,” Pete shrugged. 

“Web,” Tony whispered. “Of course.” He poked at the substance some more. 

“As you can see, Pete has some… talents that we aren’t equipped to handle here,” Claire said. “We were hoping that you would be able to possibly take Pete in and help him adapt.”

“How long has this been happening, Pete?”

“Ever since I can remember,” Pete answered. “I ‘member that I got really sick and I was hot and cold and I threw up a lot and then I woke up and I could shoot the web and lift heavy things.”

“That’s very good remembering,” Steve told him. “Anything else?”

“He’s stronger than most of the kids his age,” Claire said when it was obvious that Pete wasn’t going to answer. “And he’s got heightened senses, except for his sight.”

“Is that true, Pete?” The boy nodded. 

Tony and Steve looked at each other. “Pete, would you want to come live with us, if it was possible?” Steve asked him.

Pete looked at them for a moment. “Would you do experiments on me?”

“We may have to do some tests to know what’s going on inside you, but we won’t do anything without your permission and we’ll tell you what we’re doing whenever we do something. Does that sound okay?” Tony asked.

Pete nodded tentatively. 

“Look Pete, we obviously won’t be able to take you with us today. We’re going to go back to the tower and talk to the rest of the team and, assuming everything goes well, we’ll start the process to become your foster family.” Steve looked up to Claire. “I’m not sure what the process is, but I’m sure Claire will walk us through.”

“Well generally we do a home check first and, when the house is deemed safe for the child, there are a few visits to make sure that both parties are compatible. Then, the child will spend a weekend at the home, to see if it is still a good fit and will be integrated into the home. Finally, the child will be legally adopted after the set court date.”

“Well that doesn’t sound too hard,” Steve said. “What do you say, Pete? Wanna give it a try?”

“Yes,” Pete said simply. 

“Alright, good. We have a few more minutes, why don’t you tell us about yourself?”

“I’m four years, three months and seven days old,” Pete said. “I like bugs and doing math and science. I also like drawing.” Pete looked at them. “What about you?”

“I also like math and science,” Tony said. “and when we’re not fighting bad guys, I’m working on clean energy.”

“And I like art and drawing,” Steve said. “I also do a lot of volunteering in the community.”

“Cool,” Pete said, a small smile gracing his lips. 

“Well, I think it’s time for us to go,” Tony said, looking at his watch. “It was good to meet you, Pete, and we’ll see you soon, okay?”

“Okay,” Pete said.

Steve put a hand on Pete’s shoulder momentarily. “See you later, Pete.”

“See you.” 

 

When they got back to the tower, they were met in the common living room by the entire team. Everyone was perched on the two large sofas and many armchairs scattered throughout the room. Clint and Natasha were on one end of one of the couches, Sam sat next to them. Bruce was in an armchair on his own beside them, Vision in the armchair next to Bruce’s and Wanda perched on the arm. Thor was lounging on the other sofa with his feet in Jane’s lap.

“So how did it go?” Natasha asked them as soon as they had entered the perimeter of the lounge area. 

“Good. Really good,” Steve said, putting his hands in his jean pockets and nodding. “This is definitely a case that we are interested in looking into.”

“His name is Pete,” Tony continued. 

“What are his powers like?” Clint asked. 

“Arachnid?” Tony said. “It’s kind of unclear. He’s got heightened senses, super strength and he can shoot web from his hands.”

“Wow, that sounds… crazy.”

“That seems like a lot for a kid to handle,” Bruce chipped in. 

“Which is why we want to help him,” Steve said, nodding in agreement with Bruce. 

“He also seems smart for his age.”

“He was doing multiplication problems when we went in, and all his answers were right,” Tony said. 

“Wow. I wasn’t doing multiplication until I was five,” Jane said, gently rubbing Thor’s feet. 

“Yeah, he’s definitely unique.” They all sat in silence as everyone soaked it in. 

“How would this work, if we did take him in? We’ve all got different ideas on how to raise a child, I’m sure,” Sam asked.

“Yeah, I mean I love you guys but I’ve got a family and my own kids. I wouldn’t be able to take on the full responsibility of another kid,” Clint pitched in. 

“And I don’t think I would trust myself around a kid full-time,” Bruce said. He had only returned a couple months ago from what he deemed his “soul searching mission” and was still a little wary of being around other humans.

“Can I suggest something?” Natasha asked. 

“Please,” Steve said, gesturing to her to continue. 

“What if we had a group of main caregivers with the rest of us acting as support?” Natasha asked. “The mains would have to live here full-time, be around enough that they would be able to provide Pete with a routine. They would also have to be comfortable around him.” Natasha looked around. Clint was immediately out of the question, as well as Bruce, Thor and Jane. She didn’t think she was around enough to contend, and Sam also lived away more often than not. Wanda was too young to raise a kid and Vision was still working on expressing emotion, thus crossing him off the list.

“So that would mean you two,” Natasha said, nodding at Steve and Tony. “Would you be willing to take on that responsibility?”

“I think so,” Steve said, reaching over and taking Tony’s hand.

“I think it’s worth a try, at any rate,” Tony said, squeezing Steve’s hand.

“And what about when we’re all called away on a mission?” Sam asked.

“If Pepper’s free we can ask her, or if Jane is in the tower she can stay and watch Pete. Or we can drop him with Coulson in the van if we have to. Worse comes to worse he’s a smart kid and F.R.I.DA.Y. can get him anything he needs while he waits for us.”

“You’ve clearly thought about this,” Clint said with a smirk.

“I’d really like to make it work, if possible,” Tony reiterated.

“Wanda, Vision, Thor? You’ve all been very quiet, how would you feel about the introduction of a child into the tower?”

“I think we should do all that we can to assist this child,” Thor said. “I will help whenever I am on Midgard and at the tower. It may not be often, but I will help turn this child into a true warrior.”

“I believe that it will have no effect on me. If you believe it is best for the child and for the team, I fully support bringing him to the tower,” Vision said.

“And I do not mind either way,” Wanda said. “It might not be a bad thing to have young energy in the tower.”

“Well it’s settled then,” Steve said. “The next step is to set up a meeting with all of us.”


	2. first meeting

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Avengers go to the home to meet Pete.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! I'm hoping to wrangle this into some sort of regular posting schedule :S

A few days later found the entire team going back to the home. They were all crammed around what seemed to be the common dining area. Pete was sandwiched between Claire and Steve, with Tony on Steve’s other side and the rest of the Avengers sprawled out around the table. 

“I made this for you,” Pete said, sliding a piece of paper towards Steve and Tony shyly. On it was two shakily drawn figures, one with red, white and blue stripes and the other with red and gold blobs decorating it. 

“Is that us, Pete? That’s great, thank you!” Steve said, pulling the paper closer and angling it towards Tony. 

“Wow, good job buddy! But why aren’t you in it?”

“I didn’t know if you’d want me, but I wanted to make you something,” Pete shrugged.

“Oh Pete, that’s… very sweet,” Steve said weakly, saddened that Pete wasn’t sure they would want him. “We want you very much, Pete. That’s why we’re all here today, okay?”

“Okay,” Pete said, staring solemnly at them from behind his thick black frames. 

“We thought we’d start by everyone introducing themselves and telling you about themselves.” Steve gestured to Sam to take it away.

“Hi Pete, I’m Sam, codename Falcon. I like running, writing, and my favourite colour is red.”

“Hi, Sam,” Pete said quietly.

“Hi Pete, my name’s Clint, codename Hawkeye. I like shooting things with my bow and arrow, climbing trees, and my favourite colour is purple.”

“I’m Natasha, codename Black Widow. I like long walks, hand-to-hand combat and my favourite colours are black and red.”

“Hang on, I thought we were only allowed one favourite colour!” Clint cried from beside Natasha. “Well in that case, my favourite colours are purple, black and blue.”

All of the other Avengers good-naturedly rolled their eyes at Clint’s antics.

“Hi Pete, I’m Bruce,” he said from beside Clint, ignoring him. “Codename the Hulk. I like doing yoga, chemistry and my favourite colour is also purple.”

Everyone else introduced themselves one by one, each giving their name, codename, two activities they liked and one favourite colour. It was the formula that Steve had prescribed to try and help Pete cope with meeting so many new people at once. When they were done, Steve took over again.

“This is just the people who live most of the time at the tower. Jane, Thor’s girlfriend, and Pepper, the CEO of Tony’s company, have rooms in the tower that they use sometimes, but not often enough to bring them today. Do you have any questions for any of us?”

“Where would I live?”

“Tony and I live full-time in the tower, so you would live with us on our floor. We would be your main guardians, and your guardians on all legal paperwork. Is that okay with you, Pete?”

“Yeah,” Pete said. 

“Do you have any other questions?” Tony asked. 

“Will I have to fight bad guys?” he asked.

“Oh gosh, Pete, no of course not,” Tony said quickly. “In fact, it is our active duty to make sure you are never harmed by the bad guys. F.RI.D.A.Y. will help us there.”

“What’s happening Friday?” Pete asked.

“No, no, F.R.I.D.A.Y. is my A.I.,” Tony explained.

“You have an A.I.?” Pete asked excitedly, perking up.

“Yup, she runs the whole tower since JARVIS and Vision sort of… well, let’s just say it’s complicated and leave it there, alright?”

“Okay,” Pete paused. “But I get to see the A.I., right?”

“You get to live with it, dude,” Clint said, smiling at Pete. 

“Cool,” Pete exclaimed. 

“Well, I think this is a good place to leave it today as long as you don’t have anymore questions, Pete?” Claire asked, interrupting them.

“Nope!” Pete paused. “Actually, when can I visit the tower?” 

Everyone chuckled at his enthusiasm.

“Well, the Tower will have to go through a home check and there should be a few more meetings here between you and Tony and Steve, but once that’s done you should be good for a weekend at the Tower.”

“Okay,” Pete said. All the Avengers stood to leave. 

“We’ll see you soon, okay Pete?” Steve said, putting his hand on Pete’s shoulder. 

“Yup! See you soon.” 

Tony made sure to take the drawing that Pete had made on their way out. All the Avengers said a quiet goodbye to Pete on their way out.

 

The next week was a busy blur of home visits from their new case worker, Hank, Tony downloading every parenting book available onto his tablet and leaving sticky notes with important excerpts for Steve on their fridge and cleaning the entire Tower from top to bottom. 

“You have a laboratory in the Tower, correct Mr. Stark?” Hank asked as he stood in the communal kitchen, looking around. He was there conducting the home inspection. 

“That’s right,” Tony said, smiling at the man and fiddling the pen that he had been obsessively clicking throughout the entire home check. 

“Would you say that poses a danger to Pete?” Hank asked.

“Not at all,” Tony said. “All experiments and procedures carried out in my laboratories are not in any way life threatening, and I have installed protocols with my A.I. that will request approval before allowing Pete into the labs and other areas deemed dangerous to a four year old. I fully plan on providing Pete with an enriched education, which includes experiments in the lab, but nothing that will ever pose a threat to him.”

“And if your A.I. fails?”

“I don’t understand the question,” Tony responded.

“What if the A.I. lets Pete into the labs or another dangerous location without asking approval?”

“Well that wouldn’t happen, but in the very unlikely chance that it did I’ve also got back up lockdown procedures set in place any time that power is cut or there is sign of hacking in my systems. Those are the only conceivable ways that my A.I. could fail and even then, the chances are very slim.”

“Okay, well then I think I’m ready to make my assessment. The Tower, overall, has been adapted successfully to be safe for a four year old. I would add safeties on the drawers in the kitchen but otherwise, everything looks good.” 

Steve and Tony linked hands and grinned at each other. They were one step closer to getting Pete.

“Thank you so much, Hank,” Steve said, shaking the man’s hand with his free one. 

“It’s my pleasure. Pete is a very sweet, special boy who deserves to find a place he can fit in.”

“Our feelings exactly,” Tony said, shaking the man’s hand as well. “We’ll see you Friday when we pick Pete up?”

“You bet,” Hank said, heading to the elevator. “I’ll see you both in a couple of days.”


	3. First stay

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Pete stays over for the first time

When Steve and Tony pulled up to the home Friday late afternoon, Pete was already sat on the step with a small suitcase packed beside him. Hank was perched on the step next to him, talking quietly with him. When he saw the car pull up, Pete leapt to his feet and waved energetically. 

“I’m glad to see he’s starting to come out of his shell,” Steve said to Tony softly as they exited the car. 

“Yeah, but I mean who wouldn’t be excited to see me?” Tony asked, winking at Steve. 

Steve rolled his eyes affectionately and linked his hand with Tony’s as they approached the front step. 

“Hey Pete,” Tony said as they stopped in front of him. “Did you have a good week?”

“Yup!” Pete answered. “Claire says you have to see her before we can leave.”

“Okay, let’s head in, then,” Steve said, putting his hand on Pete’s back and steering him inside the house.

“Claire!” Pete called, revealing his excitement in the sheer volume of his voice. Steve and Tony were taken aback- they had never heard Pete talk above more than a murmur. “They’re here!”

“Coming!” she called back, appearing a moment later at the top of the stairs and meeting them at the door. “Pete has been very excited for the visit, he’s been telling all the other kids about it.”

“We’ve all been very excited as well,” Steve said, hand still comfortingly on Pete’s back. 

“Great, well all you need to do is sign some papers and you can get this weekend started.” She turned to Pete. “Pete, why don’t you wait outside with Hank?”

“Okay.” Pete went back outside and sat on the step once more beside Hank. Claire led them to her office where a sheet of paper was already waiting on her desk. Turning the page around she explained that it was a permission form that Steve and Tony had to sign accepting responsibility for Pete and his actions and safety for the weekend. Once they were done, they went back outside to collect Pete from Hank. 

“Hope you have fun, Pete,” Hank said, shaking his hand. He turned to Steve and Tony. “Don’t spoil him too much- leave some for later,” he told them with a smile.

“Will do,” Tony answered, and they were sent on their way, Pete and his suitcase in tow. When they reached the car, Steve took Pete’s suitcase and put it in the trunk. Meanwhile, Tony held the back door open for Pete. 

“For you,” Tony said grandly, motioning for Pete to enter. 

“Thanks,” Pete said shyly, sliding into the backseat. Tony took his place in the driver’s seat, and Steve slid into the passenger seat. 

“So, the plan is we’re going to take you out to dinner just the three of us, and then we’ll have a movie night at home with everyone. Does that sound good? Are you hungry enough to eat?” Steve asked, looking over his shoulder at Pete in the back seat.

“Sure,” Pete answered. 

“We’re going to take you to our favourite pizza place. You like pizza, right?”

“Who doesn’t like pizza?” Pete asked.

“Smart kid,” Tony said, pointing at Pete through the rear-view mirror. 

For the rest of the car ride all the way through them being seated at the restaurant, Pete told them about his week. 

It was a hole-in-the-wall place that had opened just before Steve had been injected with the serum. He had been thrilled to see that it had survived into the twenty first century and had taken Tony there on their first date. It had kept it’s 20s appearance with modern renovations to keep it up to standard, which was another reason Steve was so charmed with it. Small tables complete with white cloth tablecloths, wooden chairs with high backs and lamps hanging over every table were part of the appeal. 

“What kind of pizza do you like, Pete?” Steve asked when Pete had finished recounting his week. 

“Pepperoni and green peppers,” he said. “No one else likes it, so I never get it at the house.”

“Well you can have it whenever you want when you’re with us,” Tony said. 

“Within reason,” Steve amended.

“Of course,” Tony agreed. 

When their waiter arrived, Tony ordered one pepperoni and green peppers pizza, one meat-lovers pizza for Steve and one with everything except for mushrooms and anchovies for himself. 

“So Pete, are you in school yet?” Steve asked. 

“Nope. I’m s’posed to start next year.” 

“Right, of course.” Steve looked at Tony panicked. It was June now- they only had a few months to get him enrolled. They hadn’t talked about schooling, or not in such a real, immediate way. 

“But you were working on multiplication when we met you, right?” Tony asked.

“Yeah, Claire buys me math books that teach me how to do math. And if I have questions, she helps me. Science ones, too.”

“That’s great, Pete.” Tony grinned, taking Steve’s hand over the table and squeezing it. He could tell Steve was panicking about not getting Pete into school in time. “And you aren’t having any trouble with multiplication? Have you started multiplying two digit numbers yet?”

“Yeah, but I get stuck on them sometime.”

“What are you getting stuck on?” Tony asked. “If I gave you a problem, could you show me?”

“Sure.”

Tony pulled over a napkin and pulled a pen out of his pocket. He wrote 17x23 on the napkin and slid it over to Pete. Pete took the pen and started doing the problem. When he got stuck, he looked up at Tony. 

“That’s wrong, right?” He asked.

“Well, you’re on the right track,” Tony said encouragingly. “But when you start the second row here, you have to remember to start with a 0. Here, let me write it out again and you can try.” Tony wrote the equation again on a clean piece of napkin and gave it back to Pete. Pete took the pen back and tried again, this time successfully. 

“391! The answer is 391!” he said, beaming at Tony.

“That’s right, Pete, good job!” Tony said, putting a hand on his shoulder. 

“Very impressive, Pete,” Steve added. “And just in time,” he said as their waiter came back with their food. 

“There you go, anything else I can get you?”

“Not right now, thank you,” Steve said.

“Now Pete, you don’t have to eat that whole pizza, we’ll have what you can’t finish boxed up and you can bring it back to the home with you.”

“Okay,” Pete said, picking up one slice and putting half of it in his mouth in one go. Tony grinned at his enthusiasm and picked up a slice from his own pizza, putting it not quite as enthusiastically in his own mouth. They ate in silence for a while, Pete making his way through half his pizza at almost the same rate as Steve. 

“Whoa Pete, slow down,” Steve said with a chuckle when he noticed the boy keeping pace with him. “Are you always this hungry?”

“Yeah,” he said, putting his current slice of pizza down. “Claire says I shouldn’t eat so much, but I’m just really hungry always.”

“Well don’t stop on my account,” Steve said gently, picking up another of his slices as an example. “I was just surprised, is all. Please, eat as much as your stomach can take, alright bud?”

“Okay,” Pete said, slowly picking his piece up again and continuing to eat. He ate another two slices, leaving three to be boxed up. 

“Room for dessert?” Tony asked, watching as Steve finished off his own pizza. 

“Ice cream?” Pete asked.

“Sure, they have some great gelato here,” Tony said, and when their waitress came over he asked to have his and Pete’s pizza’s boxed up and ordered three chocolate gelatos. They came and were consumed quickly.

As they were getting ready to leave, Steve picked up one of the napkins from the table. “Come here Pete,” he said, kneeling down so he was level with Pete. “You have pizza sauce and chocolate on your face.” Smiling, he reached out and wiped it off with the napkin, careful not to be rough. “That’s better,” he said, rubbing Pete’s head fondly. 

“Ready to go?” Tony asked, smiling at both of them, pizza boxes in hand. 

“Lead the way,” Steve said, taking Pete’s hand as they left the restaurant. 

The ride back to the tower was a short one. 

“Hey F.R.I.D.A.Y., we’re home,” Tony said as they stepped into the elevator. 

“Hello sirs,” F.R.I.D.A.Y. responded.

“F.R.I.D.A.Y., meet Pete,” Tony said.

“Hello, Pete,” she replied.

“Hi,” he replied shyly, looking up towards the ceiling. “Are you an A.I.?”

“I am,” she said. “Mr. Stark created me as a backup for J.A.R.V.I.S., who is now known as Vision.”

“Cool,” Pete said. “So what can you do?”

“I control the security and comfort levels in the Tower primarily, and keep Sir out of trouble.”

“Like anyone can keep me out of trouble,” Tony grinned. 

“Arriving at the communal floor, sir,” F.R.I.D.A.Y. announced as the elevator doors slid open. 

“Thanks.” They stepped off the elevator and were greeted raucously by their teammates, who were assembled in the living room. The main group was there- they had decided collectively that this weekend, only people who primarily resided at the tower should be there. That meant that Natasha, Clint, Thor, Wanda, Vision and Bruce were all waiting for them in the communal living room. Others who occasionally stayed over, like Phil or Pepper, had been banned for the weekend. 

“Everyone ready for a movie night?” Steve greeted them, putting Pete’s bag down by the elevator. He was answered by positive responses and cheers. “Okay, well we’ll start with snacks. Tony, Pete and I will go get snacks ready in the kitchen while you guys set up the movie. Pete, what do you want to watch?”

“Oh, I don’t know,” Pete said, nervous with all eyes on him.

“We have access to any movie here. Is there one that you wanted to see that you haven’t been able to yet?”

“I never saw Finding Nemo,” Pete answered after a moment of thought. 

“Good choice!” Clint called from his perch on one of the sofas. “We’ll get that set up.”

“Okay,” Pete followed Steve and Tony into the communal kitchen. 

“What kind of snacks do you like?” Steve asked Pete. 

“Dunno,” Pete answered. 

“Chips?” Tony asked.

“Sure,” Pete shrugged. Tony took a handful of different flavors from the cupboard.

“Popcorn?” Steve asked.

“Sure,” Pete answered again. Steve put a bag in the microwave. 

“Pretty easy-going, huh?”

“I’m not picky,” Pete confirmed. 

“Well that will make things easy. Any other snacks you want?” 

“No,” Pete said.

“M&M’s!” Clint called from the living room. 

“Got it!” Steve called back, reaching into a cupboard for the ever-present bag of M&M’s. He handed the bag to Pete to hold. Grabbing an assortment of canned pops and the bag of popcorn, Steve led the way back into the living room. The three of them settled onto one of the sofas, Natasha, Thor and Clint spread across another and Bruce, Wanda and Vision curled up on the third. Snacks were evenly distributed among the sofas and F.R.I.D.A.Y. started the movie unprompted. As the opening scene began, Pete snuggled closer into the sofa. He hid his face in Tony’s arm when the fish attacked the anemone, and Tony slung his arm around Pete’s shoulders. 

When the movie finished, Wanda nudged Bruce awake. 

“Sorry,” he said softly, blushing. “Long day in the lab.”

“Well, I think it’s time for us to go to bed,” Tony said, looking down at Pete who was half awake. 

“Okay,” he said around a yawn. He climbed off the sofa. “Goodnight, everyone.”

A chorus of ‘goodnight’s and ‘sleep well’s followed them to the elevator. Steve made sure to grab Pete’s bag before getting on. 

“We made up the guest room for you. If you do end up staying with us permanently, you can decorate the room however you want,” Steve explained as the elevator moved noiselessly between floors. 

“Okay,” Pete answered. “However I want?”

“Within reason,” Tony said. “No live animals, nothing that can explode, that kind of stuff. Well, not any big explosions, anyway.” 

Steve shot an exasperated look at Tony over Pete’s head.

“We’ll talk about it when the time comes,” Steve said as the doors slid open. “For now, this is it.”  
They walked out of the elevator and into the apartment. In front of them, the living room stretched out and led to an open-space kitchen on their right. A hall to their left led to the two bedrooms and the guest bathroom.

“Your bedroom is this way,” Tony said, leading to one of the doors off the hallway. Opening it, he gestured for Pete to lead the way.

“Wow, this is so big,” he said, walking in and sitting on the bed. “It’s all for me?” 

“Of course,” Steve said, putting Pete’s bag down beside the bed. “Now, we’re just down the hall. The bathroom beside this room is yours to use. If you need anything at all, come grab us, okay?”

“Okay,” Pete said. “Thanks. Goodnight.”

“Goodnight, Pete."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thanks for reading!


	4. First visit pt 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thanks for reading!

Steve had gotten used to being woken up by a sweaty hand on his shoulder. Tony had so many nightmares that it was more likely he would be woken by him than that he would wake up on his own. So when he felt a hand on his shoulder, Steve just rolled over and tucked Tony close to his chest. 

“Nightmare?” Steve asked, eyes still closed.

“Not me,” Tony said. “F.R.I.D.A.Y. just woke me up and told me Pete’s having a nightmare. Should we do something?”

Steve sighed. “Stats, F.R.I.D.A.Y.?” It was a shorthand Steve had built with the A.I. to measure the severity of Tony’s panic attacks and nightmares. 

“Heartrate 120, temperature 100 Farenheit, breath faster than resting. Suggested course of action: intervention.”

Steve heaved himself out of bed. “Okay, let’s go, Tony.” Without waiting to see if Tony was following, Steve padded out of their room and to Pete’s down the hall. He tapped gently on the door and waited for a response. All he could hear, however, was quiet whimpering. 

“Pete?” he asked as he gently opened the door. Pushing it all the way open, Steve crossed to the bed and knelt down beside it, Tony coming up behind him. “Pete,” Steve called softly. “Pete, wake up. Pete, you’re at Avengers tower with me and Tony. You’re safe. Wake up.” Steve put his hand on the bed beside Pete but hesitated to touch him. Slowly, Pete’s eyes cracked open. 

“What-?” Pete shot up in the bed. “Did I wake you up?” he asked guiltily. 

“No, F.R.I.D.A.Y. did. She was worried about you.”

“She didn’t need to be, I was just having a stupid dream,” Pete said, looking at his hands, which were still covered by his blanket. 

“What were you dreaming about, Pete?” Steve asked. 

“My parents,” Pete said. 

“Do you want to talk about it?” Steve reached his hand out, trying to offer comfort to Pete. 

“No.”

“Okay. Do you want to come sleep in our room?”

“Don’t wanna sleep,” Pete mumbled. 

“That’s okay,” Tony finally chimed in from behind Steve. “We can sit on the sofa and watch movies. How does that sound?”

“It’s okay, I can just stay in here,” Pete said. “I don’t want to be trouble.”

“Pete, you’re not trouble,” Steve said. “Come on, let’s go sit on the sofa.”

Pete looked at them and his eyes welled with tears. 

“Hey, hey,” Steve said, putting his hands on Pete’s shoulders. “It’s okay, Pete.” Steve pulled Pete’s head to his chest and ran his hand up and down Pete’s back.

“S-s-sorry,” Pete hiccupped from Steve’s chest. 

“No need to apologize,” Steve said. “Just breathe, it’s okay.”

Tony sat on the edge of Pete’s bed. “You know, I get nightmares too,” Tony said softly from beside them. “And Steve always helps me through mine. He’s good at it,” Tony smiled softly at Steve. “You’re gonna be okay, bud.”

Pete’s sobs had quieted and he was now wiping his tears on Steve’s shirt, hands still strangely buried under the blankets. 

“Ready to go out to the sofa, now?” Steve asked. Pete looked at him, lip wobbling and fresh tears coursing down his cheeks. 

“I had an accident,” Pete said thickly. 

“Oh Pete,” Steve murmured. “It’s okay,” he continued. “We’ll just change your pyjamas and the sheets, no worries.”

“I didn’t pee,” Pete said, sounding almost insulted while withdrawing his hands slowly from under the blanket. Strings of white dripped from his wrist to his fingers and into the blankets. 

“Well, that’s probably one of the most unique accidents I’ve ever seen,” Tony said softly. “I’ll clean up if you want to take Pete out to the living room.” 

“Thanks, Tony,” Steve said. “Did any get on your pajamas, Pete?” 

“Some got on my pants,” Pete said. 

“Okay, let’s get you changed first and then we’ll head out to the living room, okay?”

“Kay.” 

While Steve changed a quiet Pete, Tony stripped the bed and discreetly put the sheets in his and Steve’s room. He wanted to take the stringy stuff to his lab but didn’t want Pete thinking that he was a science experiment that Tony wanted to observe. He grabbed a new set of sheets and put them quickly on the bed, joining Steve and Pete in the living room when he was done. 

“So, what are we watching?” he asked as he sat beside Pete, Steve on Pete’s other side. Pete was clutching a dark brown bear that Tony had noticed on the bed beside him. 

“A documentary on bees,” Steve answered, as Pete was too engrossed to answer. 

“Cool,” Tony said easily, arm draped over the back of the sofa. A few minutes in and he could feel himself nodding off. He rested his head against the back of the sofa to try and save his neck. 

The next time he woke up, Pete’s head was in his lap and he was fast asleep. Steve was sitting up, wide awake.

“Hey,” he whispered.

“What time is it?” Tony asked.

“Just after 3 a.m. Pete fell asleep about twenty minutes ago.”

“Should we try to move him?”

“Give it another ten, then we should probably just bring him into our bed.” 

“Wake me when it’s time.” Tony closed his eyes again.

Steve nudged him awake ten minutes later and scooped Pete gently off Tony’s lap.

When they reached their room, Steve gently laid Pete down in the middle of their bed and crawled in on one side while Tony got in on the other. Silently, they rolled so that they were both facing Pete and quickly fell asleep. 

They woke a few hours later when Pete shook their arms. 

“Hi Pete,” Steve said. “Any more nightmares?” 

“No. Sorry about earlier.”

“There’s really no need to apologize, Pete,” Tony said groggily, still fighting his way out of sleep.

“Was this the first time you had a nightmare, Pete?” Steve asked.

“No,” Pete answered quietly. 

“Did Claire know about them?”

“I only told her once, when I had an accident.”

“Was she angry?” Tony asked.

“No, but she’s just so tired all the time. I didn’t want to bug her.”

“That’s sweet of you Pete, but you need to tell her, and us, when you have nightmares, okay? It’s our job to help you.”

“Okay,” Pete said.

“Do you want to talk about your nightmare?”

“No, thanks,” Pete answered. 

“How about breakfast, then?” Tony asked. 

“Okay,” Pete said enthusiastically. “Pancakes?”

“Sure, whatever you want.”

 

The three of them ate chocolate chip pancakes until their bellies were full. Then they all got dressed and ready for the day. 

“Well, I’m going to go down to the lab if you want to join me, Pete.”

“Yeah!”

“Am I invited too?” Steve asked, smirking.

“Always,” Tony answered. They all piled into the elevator, which took them down to the labs. 

“I was thinking that I would do some experiments today. Wanna give me a hand?” Tony asked when they had exited the elevator. 

“What kind of experiments?” 

“I was thinking we could build a rocket.” At Steve’s panicked look, Tony hastened to add ”a small rocket, of course.”

“Awesome!” Pete cried. 

“Okay, come over here to the workbench.” Pete followed him over. “Let’s get you ready first. Come stand on this stool.” Tony helped Pete up onto a step stool so that he could see above the counter. “Apron and glasses first,” Tony announced, picking the apron up off the workbench and putting it over Pete’s head. Reaching around, he tied it tightly around the back. Then, he handed the safety glasses to Pete. “Put those on, buddy.” 

Pete slid them on over his glasses. “What’s Steve gonna do?”

“I’m just going to be over here, sketching,” Steve answered. He had sat himself on a sofa in the corner. Quickly after moving in, they had set up what Steve affectionately called his “sketching corner”. It was two sofas, a low table and a side table filled with sketching equipment. 

 

The afternoon passed quickly with Steve sketching Pete, Tony and many of the bots in the lab.

Meanwhile Tony and Peter made small explosions and tinkered with Tony’s bots on the other side of the room. The relative quiet of the room was interrupted by F.R.I.D.A.Y. around mid-afternoon.

“Sirs, Clint and Natasha are asking when dinner is.”

“Pete, how do you feel about tacos?”

“Don’t like onions in ‘em, but otherwise they’re good,” Pete said distractedly, tongue poking out as he screwed a metal plate onto one of the bots. 

“Great. F.R.I.D.A.Y., tell Clint and Natasha that they can get the tacos started and we’ll be up in about twenty minutes.”

“Yes, boss.”

Tony helped Pete finish his tinkering on You and cleaned up the tools while Steve packed up his sketching equipment and helped Pete out of his apron and goggles. 

They got into the elevator, Pete chatting happily about all the things he and Tony had done that afternoon. Tony patiently answered any questions Pete had, pulling out his tablet to explain certain things with drawings and diagrams. The conversation continued as they stepped out of the elevator and onto the main floor, both heading distractedly to the couches in the sitting room. They sat there, Tony holding the tablet with one hand between the two of them, Pete bent diligently over it. 

Steve left them to it, going into the kitchen to check on dinner. Clint was at the counter grating cheese while Natasha stood diligently over spitting taco meat. 

“Looking good,” Steve said, walking over to Natasha and peering over her shoulder at the meat. The spicy smell wafted up from the pan. “No onions, right?”

“F.R.I.D.A.Y. mentioned it,” Natasha said, turning so she was looking at him over her shoulder. 

“Good,” Steve said, smiling at her before turning and going to Clint. “All good here?”

“Yup,” Clint answered, looking pointedly at a knife on the counter. “Although, I wouldn’t mind some help chopping the lettuce.”

“I’ll get right on that,” Steve answered with a smile, going to the sink and washing his hands before picking up the knife. He set to deftly chopping up the lettuce, putting it all in a bowl he found under the counter. When he was done, he brought the bowl out to the large dining table. Thor and Bruce had already set it so it was a matter of finding an open spot for him to place the bowl. When he had, he went into the living room, where Tony and Pete were still bent over the tablet.

“Hey fellas, time to get ready for supper,” Steve said.

“Just a minute, Steve,” Tony responded distractedly. 

“Okay, but only one,” he smiled fondly at the two of them and went to start getting drinks for everyone. By the time he had finished setting everything out, Tony and Pete had put the tablet away and were sitting at the dining table. 

“You two figure out what you needed to?” Steve asked as he sat down.

“Yeah, we were just talking about basic engineering. Pete still has a lot to learn, obviously, but we’ll take it slow. We’ve got time.” Tony smiled down at Pete as he slung an arm around the back of his chair. 

“Sounds exciting,” Clint said as he sat down at the table, bowl of grated cheese in hand. Natasha followed close behind with the taco meat, and Thor and Bruce brought in the sour cream, tacos shells and diced tomatoes. 

The supper was a boisterous one, with Thor enthusiastically chatting away with anyone who would listen, and Pete mostly talking to Tony, but participating in some other conversations as well. 

They spent the rest of the evening playing board games, Pete winning all rounds of both Monopoly Junior and Trouble. They decided, after several rounds of each game, that it was time for bed. The next morning saw them getting ready to say goodbye to Pete as they had breakfast.  
They dropped him off at the home after lunch, each giving him a tight hug and promising they would see him soon. Tony snuck a chocolate bar and small robot into Pete’s bag before letting him go. 

“It’s silly, but I feel like he’s ours already, and we’re abandoning him,” Steve mumbled as they drove away, the image of Pete waving frantically burned into his mind. 

“We’re not abandoning him,” Tony said, grabbing his hand. “And he is ours, in all but legal paperwork. We’ll get him soon. Promise.”


	5. Bullies

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Steve and Tony learn about some boys who have been giving Pete a hard time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry about the sporadic updates, life is v busy and stressful.

They had a couple more weekend visits and all seemed to be going well. They were on their way to pick Pete up for one of the last weekend sessions before he would move in with them full time. They would foster Pete until a court day could be set for them to adopt him. They were moving faster than normal, but between Claire and Hank they all thought it would be best to move the process along quickly.   
When they pulled into the home, the front step was unusually empty. Pete was usually waiting there for them. Steve looked at Tony.  
“I hope nothing’s wrong,” he murmured as they got out of the car.   
“I’m sure it’s fine. He probably just got sucked into a math problem or something. He moved onto long division last weekend.” The note of pride in Tony’s voice was hard to miss.   
“I’m sure.” Steve stopped at the closed door and knocked. The door was answered a few minutes later by Claire, a baby balanced on her hip.   
“Come on in.” She led them inside the house and to another room. “I’d like to have a word with you two before you take Pete today.”  
Tony looked at Steve and squeezed his hand, a coil of dread unwinding in his stomach.   
“What’s wrong?” Tony asked when they were sat at Claire’s desk. The baby on Claire’s lap blinked curiously at them from the other side of the desk.   
“Pete’s had some… altercations.”  
“What sort of altercations?” Steve asked, tight lipped.   
“Some of the other kids, they’ve… well, they weren’t particularly nice to him to begin with. I do the best I can, but there’s a lot of them to take care of.” Claire looked at them, visibly distressed. “Nothing drastic has happened, mind you, but I thought you should know.”  
Steve fought hard not to let his vision go completely red. He hated bullies with a passion unmatched by any other.   
“Thank you for telling us,” he said as he stood. “I’d like to see Pete now.”   
“He’s in his room. You remember how to get there?”  
“We can find it, thanks,” Tony answered as he stood. They walked in silence until they reached Pete’s room.   
“Pete?” Steve knocked on the door.   
“Yeah,” came the small reply from the other side of the door.  
“Can we come in, buddy?”  
There was a pause. “Sure.”  
Steve cracked open the door, peeking in. Pete was sitting on the edge of his bed, his usual weekend bag beside him on the bed, half unpacked.   
“What’s this?” Steve asked as he entered the room, gesturing to the unpacked bag. “We missed you on the front step,” he said gently, trying to make a joke of it.  
“Yeah,” Pete said, looking at his feet.   
“What’s wrong, buddy?”  
“Nothing.” Pete still wouldn’t look at them.  
“I don’t believe that,” Tony said, crossing over to the bed and kneeling down so he could try and get in Pete’s line of sight. “Claire said you had an altercation.”  
“What’s that?”  
“It means that some of the other kids maybe weren’t very nice to you?” Tony prompted while Steve clenched a fist at his side.   
Pete shrugged and then opened his mouth before hesitating for a moment. “Maybe… maybe I shouldn’t come with you guys this weekend.”  
“What would make you say that, Pete?” Steve asked.   
Pete shrugged again. “Some of the other kids said, they said that I’m… different.”  
“Different’s not a bad thing, Pete.” Tony ached to reach out but resisted. “What else did they say?”  
“That you should have a normal kid. And that you would get tired of a baby like me and all my problems.” Pete’s lower lip stuck out as he fought back tears. “They said they didn’t know why you would want me.” Silent tears coursed down Pete’s cheeks as his lower lip trembled.  
Tony put his hand on Pete’s knee. “Pete, buddy, you have to know that’s not true,” Tony said, ducking his head again to try and meet Pete’s eyes. “We already love you so, so much. Pete, can you look at me?” Pete closed his eyes and cried harder, sobs shaking his body. “Oh geez. Pete, come here.” Tony opened his arms and waited until Pete flung his arms around Tony’s neck. “We could never ever get tired of you, and you don’t have problems. Sure, maybe you have accidents or nightmares sometimes, but that’s perfectly fine. I have nightmares too, and so does Steve. It doesn’t make you a freak. And sure, you’re not ordinary, you’re extraordinary Pete, and we are so lucky to have met you. Okay?” Pete kept sobbing into Tony’s shoulder, but nodded his head. Steve leaned down and wrapped both of them in a tight hug and rested his lips on top of Pete’s head for a moment. Then he pulled away and knelt down so he was eye-level with Pete.   
Hey, you’re okay, buddy. We’re here for you. We’ll always be here for you. We promise.” He put his hand on Pete’s shoulder. “Now, you take your time, and when you’re up to it, Tony will help you finish packing so that we can get this weekend started, okay?”  
Pete finally opened his eyes, tears still glazed over them. He nodded sadly before burying his face back into Tony’s neck.   
“I’ve just got to talk to Claire for a moment, I’ll be right back.”   
Steve left the room quietly, anger thrumming below the surface. He stalked back to where he had left Claire, to find her with the baby still in her lap, working on paperwork.   
“Who was it?” he asked, too angry to be polite.   
Claire jumped in surprise. “Pardon?”   
“Who said those awful things to Pete?”   
“Mr. Rogers, I can’t very well-“   
“I need to protect him,” Steve interrupted.  
“You’re doing as much as you can, as am I,” Claire responded. “I have dealt with the children responsible already. There’s no need to worry.”  
“Pete didn’t seem to feel that way,” Steve answered.   
“Yes, well, I promise I’ve talked to the children involved and am keeping an eye on the situation.”  
Steve stood there feeling wholly unfulfilled for another moment. Taking a calming breath, he smiled coldly at Claire.   
“I hope you do. Have a good day.” With a nod, he turned and walked out of the room. He had just reached the bottom of the stairs when a little girl came running up to him. She was about five or six, with dark hair messily pulled into two pigtails.   
“Hi there,” he said, hunching down so he was closer to her. “What’s your name?”  
The little girl smiled at him, revealing two dimples. She grabbed one of his hands and tugged him towards the end of the hall.   
“Did you want to show me something?”  
The little girl turned back and laid a finger to her lips, tugging him a little further down the hall. They reached a doorway and Steve peered in; he was met with the sight of a well furnished living room, kids of all ages scattered on various pieces of furniture. The little girl pointed to a corner of the room where three boys sat. When Steve looked at her blankly, she pointed up the stairs, and then emphatically back at the boys.   
“Their rooms are upstairs?” Steve guessed.  
The girl shook her head, pointing at the door to the office, the stairs, the ceiling above the stairs, and the boys once more.   
“Something about Claire, upstairs, and the boys?” Steve guessed, watching as the girl grew more frustrated. “Wait, are these the ones who have been picking on Pete?”  
The girl nodded enthusiastically.   
“How do you know?”  
She pointed at her eyes.   
“You saw them doing it?”  
She nodded, this time more subdued.   
“Okay, thank you for helping me out,” Steve said, looking in once more and memorizing the boys’ faces. He desperately wanted to go in and give them a piece of his mind but refrained from doing so, knowing it would only make Pete’s life worse. “You’ll keep an eye out for him, won’t you?”  
The girl nodded solemnly.   
“Good girl. Thank you for your help.” Steve left the girl at the foot of the stairs and went up to Pete’s room.   
“About ready to go?” Steve asked, poking his head in.   
Tony was zipping up Pete’s suitcase, but he looked up when he was done.   
“Yup. Anything else you want to bring, Pete?”  
“No.” Although still subdued, Pete was looking a little happier.   
“Alrighty, then off we go,” Tony said, slinging a small backpack over his shoulder and handing the suitcase to Steve.


	6. Moving In

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Pete moves into the tower

Pete moved in with them a few weeks later, to everyone’s delight. Tony and Steve were officially Pete’s foster parents and well on their way to becoming his adoptive parents. The court date was set in a few months, giving them time to settle in as a family first. 

Tony was a bundle of well-contained nerves as they went to pick up Pete from the home for the last time. Steve held his hand tightly as he drove, both to ground himself and Tony.   
“It’s going to be fine,” Tony said with false confidence.

“We save the world for a living, how hard can taking in a child be?” Steve agreed. “Plus, it’s not like we don’t know him.”

“Exactly,” Tony said. They pulled up to the home. As usual, Pete was waiting on the front step, this time accompanied by Hank. They eagerly got out of the car, smiling and waving as Pete ran towards them. 

“Hi!” he said breathlessly when he reached them. 

“Hey, Pete, ready to go?”

“Yes! We just gotta grab my stuff.”

“Lead the way.” Pete turned and ran into the house with a “come on, Hank” thrown over his shoulder. Hank chuckled and joined Tony and Steve as they stepped inside the home. Pete’s bags were all at the front door and as the three men entered Claire came out from her office. 

“Hi Claire,” Steve said, nodding at her.

“Hi, Steve. You boys excited for the big day?”

“We sure are,” Tony answered.

“Great, I’ll just need you to sign some forms and then you’ll be on your way.”

“Sure thing.” They all moved to Claire’s office, where she already had the forms on the desk waiting for signatures. She handed a pen to each man and the three quickly signed and initialed where she told them to. Then, they handed the pens back and went out into the main hall, gathering Pete’s belongings. This consisted of one suitcase and two backpacks, one adult sized and one child sized. 

“This is everything?” Tony asked.

“Yup,” Pete shrugged. “Mostly just my clothes and books. And the robot you gave me. And my bear.” 

“Okay, well off we go then.” 

“Bye, Claire,” Pete said, taking a step forward and wrapping his arms around her waist. 

“Bye, Pete. You be good now, okay?”

“Okay.” Pete let go and turned, taking Steve’s hand.

“Talk to you later,” Tony said as they all turned and left. As Steve packed Pete’s meager possessions into the trunk, Tony helped Pete buckle into the back seat, much as they had every other time Pete stayed over. Although the process was the same, it felt so much different this time. 

“You gonna miss it?” Steve asked as he got into the driver’s seat. 

“I’ll miss my friend Christine,” Pete answered.

“Christine?” They had never heard of Pete having a friend.

“Yeah, she’s littler than me, but she’s really nice.” 

“Well, I’m sure we can have her over for a sleepover once we get you settled in.”

“Okay.” Pete looked out the window quietly for the rest of the ride.

 

When they got to the tower, Steve got Pete’s stuff from the trunk and they all went up to their floor. Over the past couple of visits, Pete had started redecorating his room. There were already a few drawings on the wall, as well as a poster of the periodic table and of the universe, gifted to him by Tony and Steve. On his bedside table were figurines of all the Avengers, lined up in a neat row beside his bedside lamp. 

Tony and Steve had also bought a nightlight that projected stars onto the ceiling, as well as a bookshelf full of books. Steve had stopped them at that, not wanting to overwhelm Pete with too many new things at once. 

“We thought we’d help you unpack,” Tony told him as they dropped the bags on the floor. “Then we’ll have dinner with everyone.”

“Sure,” Pete said. He popped his suitcase open. 

“Why don’t you hand the clothes to me and I’ll put them in the drawers here for you?” Steve opened the closet, revealing a small set of drawers sitting inside. Pete quietly handed his clothes over, watching Steve put them away. When they had emptied the suitcase, Steve put it in the closet beside the set of drawers. They moved onto the adult-sized backpack next. It contained a few workbooks and a picture book titled “Sir Cumference and the Round Table.” There was also a few drawings tucked into the pages of the books. Pete carefully drew those out, tacking them onto the wall with bits of web. 

“Did Christine make those?”

“M hm,” Pete answered, straightening one out before turning to Steve and Tony. He pointed to the last backpack. Tony obediently opened it and fished out the robot and teddy bear. 

“That’s it?” Tony asked as he zipped the backpack up and placed it by the bedroom door.

“Yeah,” Pete answered. 

“Great, let’s go down and eat.”

Tony took Pete’s hand and led him out to the elevator. 

“Good evening, sirs,” FRIDAY greeted them when they were in the elevator.

“Hi FRIDAY,” Pete answered, smiling at the ceiling. “I live here now.”

“Welcome to your new home,” FRIDAY answered. The elevator doors dinged as they slid open, revealing the common floor. 

“Pete!” Thor greeted from where he was setting out plates. “We are having roast beef and potatoes!” Natasha was at the stove, mashing potatoes and Wanda was carving the beef. 

“Great,” Pete murmured, smiling shyly at Thor. 

“Come, sit here,” Thor pulled out a chair for Pete, patting it invitingly. Pete went over, looking a little hesitant. 

“Since it’s your special day, you get the spot of honour,” Steve explained as he took the chair next to him.

“You don’t have to,” Pete murmured as he climbed into the seat. Wanda and Natasha came to the table, each putting their bowl on the table. 

“No, but we want to because we’re excited you’re coming to live with us,” Tony explained as he sat on Pete’s other side. Vision had drifted in and was taking a seat beside Wanda. Thor sat beside Steve, with Natasha on his other side. 

“Is Bruce in?” Steve asked. 

“I believe he’s speaking at a University today,” Natasha said, craning her neck so that she could see the giant electronic chart on the wall. 

“What’s that?” Pete asked.

“The Family Calendar,” Tony responded. 

The chart was something that Tony had created at the insistence of Steve, a digital record of where everyone is when. It was a giant calendar that was projected on the wall, and contained when people were out of town or when they would be visiting the tower, as well as any events or practices that the team had. 

“Cool.” Pete dug into the beef and potatoes that Steve had scooped on his plate, leaving the small side of salad untouched. 

Pete finished off his plate, taking a bite of salad at Steve’s insistence but leaving the rest untouched.

“We’ve got a special dessert for you tonight, too,” Tony said, barely containing his grin. He was greatly anticipating showing Pete the cake he had ordered. 

“Oh, um, no that’s okay,” Pete said hesitantly. “I’m really not that special.”

Tony felt his face fall slightly before he schooled his features into a serious expression. “Pete, you are very special,” he said, putting a hand on Pete’s shoulder. “Now, if you’re not going to be excited about this cake I’m going to have to be excited all on my own, and you wouldn’t want that, would you?”

“No,” Pete said on a small giggle.

“That’s what I thought.” 

With a flourish, Tony stood up, sweeping to the fridge and pulling out an enormous cake. On it was a cartoon picture of the Avengers assembled, and underneath them in big bubble letters was the words “We’re happy you’re here, Pete!” 

“Oh,” Pete said, blinking owlishly at the cake. 

“Do you like it?” Tony prompted, setting down the cake in front of Pete.

“Yeah, thank you,” Pete said quietly, looking a little overwhelmed. He looked up at Tony, confusion and timid excitement warring on his face. 

“Well I for one am looking forward to having a piece of this cake!” Steve said, putting a reassuring hand on Pete’s back. “Tony, why don’t you dish up?”

“Sure,” Tony said, a little quieter but still smiling. He cut a big corner piece and set it in front of Pete. “There you go, Pete,” he ran his free hand down the back of Pete’s head quickly before reaching for the next plate.

They ate the cake quickly, Pete staying quiet and letting the general noise of the Avengers wrap around him. When they were done, Steve took Pete’s plate and brought it over to the sink, leaving it for Wanda to take care of. 

“We’re going to head on up to bed,” Steve announced to the group, taking Pete by the shoulder and leading him to the elevator. 

They were met with a chorus of goodnights and sweet dreams as the three of them stepped onto the elevator. Pete let out a big yawn, covering his mouth with his hand. The elevator landed on their floor and the doors silently slid open.

“Pretty big day, huh bud?” Steve asked as he wrapped an arm around Pete’s shoulders, leading him out of the elevator and to his room.

“M hm,” Pete mumbled, going over and sitting on his bed. 

“What pj’s do you want, robot or dinosaurs?” Steve asked as he opened the drawer containing Pete’s pyjamas.

“Robots,” Pete said. Steve pulled out the set, taking them over to the bed. He quickly got Pete changed while Tony watched from the doorway.   
“Do you want a story?” Tony asked once Pete was tucked in to bed.

“Yes, please,” Pete said, leaning his head back against the pillow. 

“Any particular one?”

Pete shook his head, watching Steve and Tony deliberate from behind half-lowered lids.

“This was one of my favourites as a kid,” Tony said, crossing to perch on the bed and show Pete the cover. It was “The Gruffalo”, and Pete watched enraptured as Tony opened the book.  
It only took a few pages for Pete to be fast asleep, the long day having taken it’s toll.

“Goodnight,” Tony whispered, laying a kiss on Pete’s forehead and pulling the blankets up to his chin. 

Steve took his turn laying a kiss on Pete’s forehead and then they left.


	7. Accidents happen

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Pete has a little accident.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this took so long, I took a week to go home and visit family.

The next day found Pete sat cross-legged at a low coffee table in the sitting room of their floor, concentrating on a group of worksheets. Tony was reclined on the sofa behind him, tapping busily away at a tablet.   
With a flourish, Pete finished the last equation on his worksheet and put his pencil down. Pushing his glasses up, he turned around and crawled onto the sofa beside Tony.  
“Watcha working on?” he asked, peering over Tony’s arm so he could see the screen.  
“Just some designs for Cap’s armour,” he said, zooming out so that Pete could see the whole design. He went on to explain the changes he was making and why he was making them, zooming in and pulling up equations. He had a feeling that most of it was going over Pete’s head, but he sat there raptly, nodding along with everything Tony was saying.   
They were interrupted when Steve walked through the door, shirt damp with sweat and earbuds in.   
“You guys are still working?” he asked. “You were at it when I left.”  
“How long has it been?”  
Steve checked the time on his phone as he pulled out his earbuds.  
“Three hours.”   
“You take too long working out,” Tony replied, slinging an arm around Pete. “You boys hungry?”  
“I could eat,” Steve replied, wrapping up the chord on his headphones. “Just let me get changed then we’ll look at lunch.”  
“You feeling anything, Pete?” Tony asked as Steve crossed to their room to get changed.  
“Nope,” he said, turning back to the tablet. “What does this do?” he pointed to a specific area on the suit.  
Tony got lost once more in explaining his upgrades to Pete, barely registering Steve coming out of the bedroom and heading into the kitchen after stopping to fondly watch them on the sofa.   
Steve emerged from the kitchen a while later, two plates piled high with sandwiches and two bags of chips under his arms.   
“Lunch,” he announced, dropping the plates and bags onto the table. “Be right back.” He went back into the kitchen and got three plates and three glasses of water. “How many sandwiches do you want, Pete?” he asked.   
“One, please.”  
“Ham and cheese or roast beef?”  
“Ham, please.”  
“Great, and what kind of chips?”  
“Plain, please.”  
Steve put a handful of plain chips and a sandwich onto the plate, sliding it in front of Pete. He piled a plate with three sandwiches and a mountain of chips onto another plate, putting it down on the table. Tony had already grabbed a plate and was placing his sandwiches and chips onto it.   
While they ate, Pete told Steve all about the new suit Tony was planning for him, getting most of the facts right.   
“That was really good, Pete,” Tony said, resting a hand on his head.   
“Sounds like I’ve got a great suit coming up,” Steve said, finishing off the last of his sandwich. “I bet if you ask real nice, Tony will let you come down and help him build it, when the design is ready.”  
Pete’s eyes lit up as he looked towards Tony. “Really? Could I?”  
“Of course, Pete.”  
“Cool.” Pete grinned as he chomped into his last chip, spilling crumbs everywhere.   
“Did you want to help me take these to the kitchen?” Steve asked, piling the empty plates one on top of the other.   
“Sure!” Pete scooped up the pile of plates, preceding Steve into the kitchen. Tony watched as Pete carefully balanced the plates, tongue sticking out in concentration. Tony enjoyed a moment of peace as Steve and Pete worked in the kitchen, the sounds of them murmuring lulling him into a sense of peace.  
That came to an abrupt halt when there was a crash from the kitchen, and a loud shout followed by the blur of a small figure racing down the hall.   
“Pete!” Steve shouted from the kitchen.  
Tony leapt up and raced to the kitchen; he was greeted by the sight of all the plates on the floor, Steve carefully tip-toeing around the shards of porcelain on the floor.  
“Go find him,” Steve said without preamble. “I’ll be right behind you.”  
“Yeah.”   
Tony turned and went down the hall, opening the door to the bathroom first.   
“Pete?” he asked, peering inside the dark room. He flicked the light on, but saw no sight of Pete and left, leaving the door open.  
He went to Pete’s room next, fully opening the already ajar door. The light was on in the room, but it didn’t look as if Pete was inside. Tony stepped fully in, feeling Steve join him at his back.   
“Pete?” he called, going over to the closet and opening it. He peered in, but didn’t see Pete on the floor or in any corners, so he shut the closet and moved back into the room. He noticed Steve looking under the bed but he stood up a few seconds later, shaking his head.   
“Pete, it’s okay,” Steve called, putting his hands on his hips and looking around the small room. “We’re not angry.” He moved towards the bedroom door, ready to look in another room. A small noise stopped Tony as he turned to leave as well, making him turn back towards the room. As he did, he noticed something on the ceiling that caught his eye.  
“Oh sh-“ he cut himself off, not wanting to scare Pete. He was plastered to the ceiling belly first, seemingly hanging off the ceiling by sheer will. “Hey, Pete,” he said quietly, keeping eye contact and reaching towards Pete slowly. “You’re okay, bud.” He moved so that he was directly under Pete, Steve moving quickly to his side. “Can you come down?”   
Pete turned his face into the ceiling, closing his eyes and shaking his head.   
“Steve, go get a chair,” Tony said quietly, not looking away from Pete.   
Steve disappeared from his peripheral and re-appeared a few seconds later with a chair, which he placed beside Tony.   
“Bud, I’m coming up to get you, alright?”  
Pete didn’t answer but a shudder shook through his whole body. Tony climbed onto the chair, reaching up and grabbing Pete’s shoulders and knees.   
“Can you let go for me, bud?”  
“Don’t know how,” Pete gasped.   
“Okay, that’s okay,” Tony soothed, reaching up and wrapping a hand around one of Pete’s. He gently pried it from the ceiling and, as if he had been suction cupped to the ceiling, losing one point of contact seemed to release the others. Pete tumbled into Tony’s arms, who caught him and tried not to fall off the chair. Steve placed a stabilizing hand on Tony’s back, helping him get down from the chair.   
Tony stumbled over to the bed, still cradling a shaking Pete in his lap.   
“You’re okay,” he said, rocking him and placing small kisses on Pete’s head. He continued to soothe him as Steve sat down beside him, laying a comforting hand on Pete’s leg.   
Pete mumbled something unintelligible into the crook of Tony’s neck.  
“What was that?”  
“Don’t make me go away,” Pete said around a sob.  
“What? Make you go where?”  
“Back to Claire.” The words tore out of Pete’s little throat.   
Sudden understanding and sadness lit Tony’s eyes.   
“We would never,” Tony said, wrapping his arms tighter around Pete.  
“Never?”  
“Never,” Steve said, squeezing his leg. “Everyone makes mistakes. We will never fault you for that.”   
“You’re stuck with us,” Tony said.   
Pete didn’t answer, but wiggled until he got his arms free, throwing them around Tony. Steve wrapped his arms around both of them, holding them close.


	8. The End

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Christine comes over

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry it's been forever. Life, what can I tell you?

The next couple of weeks flew by, everyone in the tower adapting to having Pete there. Jane and Pepper each stayed over for a few nights, introducing themselves to Pete. He quickly grew fond of them, Jane with her quiet and steady knowledge, and Pepper with her cheeky winks and candies she would sneak to him. 

Tony and Steve had been talking about having Pete’s friend Christine come visit ever since he had gotten comfortable in the tower. They had contacted Claire and were all set to take Christine home with them for the weekend. 

They pulled up to the orphanage, a wave of emotion flowing over them. Although they had only spent a handful of hours total at the building, it held memories already treasured by them all. Pete was in the backseat, practically bouncing with excitement at getting to see his friend. 

“Alrighty, here we go,” Tony said as he parked the car. All three of them got out, Pete practically sprinting up the steps. Tony and Steve followed at a more sedate pace, hand in hand. 

“Come on!” Pete called once he had reached the door, turning and looking pleadingly at Steve and Tony.

“We’re coming, we’re coming,” Steve chuckled. They reached the door and Steve reached over Pete to knock on the door. 

Claire answered a few moments later, Christine peeking from around her. Steve recognized her as the girl who had shown him the boys that were picking on Pete. He smiled warmly at her. 

“Hello boys,” she greeted them, smiling. “It’s nice to see you again, Pete.”

“Hi Claire, hi Christine,” Pete answered, suddenly shy. Steve put his hand on Pete’s shoulder in silent support.  
“Let’s sign some papers and get this show on the road, shall we?” Tony said.

“A very good idea. Pete and Christine, you guys can wait here while we go to the office, alright?”

Both children nodded in agreement and the adults went to the office to chat. 

“So, how is life as new foster parents?” Claire asked as she sat down, motioning them to take the seats across from her. 

“Good, good,” Steve answered politely. “Pete’s adjusting well to all the new people.”

“And everyone at the tower loves him,” Tony added. 

“That’s good to hear. Have you looked at schools yet?” 

“In an abstract sort of way,” Steve hemmed. 

“School’s coming up,” she reminded them.

“We know, we know,” Tony said, waving a hand. “We’ll find the best school for him.”

“As long as your keeping it on your mind,” Claire said. “Now, about Claire’s stay. It will be similar to when Pete spent weekends with you- you will sign an agreement that gives you all responsibility for her actions and safety this weekend. Does that sound good to you guys?”

“Sounds great,” Steve said. 

Claire slid over papers and two pens. Steve and Tony quickly signed the sheets and passed one back, keeping the other for their own records. 

“Alright then, you’re good to go.”

Claire stood and walked them out of the office, joining Pete and Christine in the hallway. 

“Can we go now?” Pete asked as they approached.

“Yeah, bud,” Steve answered, ruffling Pete’s hair. “I’ll grab your bag, Christine, and you can head to the car with Tony.”  
“Okay,” she said, following Pete down the stairs and to the car. 

Once they were all in, Steve turned to the kids from the passenger seat. “So we were thinking of heading to the Museum, how does that sound?”

“The art one?” Pete asked excitedly. 

“That’s the one,” Steve said. They had been talking about wanting to visit the Children’s Museum for the Arts, but hadn’t managed to get there yet. 

“Yeah!” Pete answered, turning to Christine. “It’ll be so much fun! There’s paints and stuff and we don’t just have to look at art, we can MAKE art!” 

Christine smiled and nodded, looking out of the window. 

 

They arrived at the museum a short time later. When they parked, Pete was the first one out of the car. 

“Whoa there!” Steve called as he hastily scrambled out of the car. “Wait for us Pete.”

“Okay, but hurry!” 

Tony helped Christine clamber out of the car, gently putting her on her feet and taking her hand. 

“Now, there is an under 5s class we thought we’d try, and then see how we feel after that, alright?” Tony asked.

“’Kay.” Christine swung their hands as they walked into the building. 

Steve bought their family ticket, and they all headed into the small room. There were a few other children and parents scattered throughout the room. Steve let go of Pete’s hand and Tony let go of Christine’s, urging them together. 

“Why don’t you guys go make friends?”

“Let’s go play with those blocks,” Pete said, pulling Christine over.

Steve and Tony watched as another child walked over and started piling blocks on top of each other.   
“I’m glad he’s got a friend. He needs kids his age,” Steve said. 

“Yeah, he does,” Tony agreed, leaning against Steve. As they were watching, a woman approached them. 

“Hi, I’m Shirley, I’m leading the class today. I’m sorry, but are you-?”

“Tony and Steve,” Tony cut her off smoothly. “Just Tony and Steve. And our son Pete and his friends Christine.” Tony pointed to them, already piling blocks high into the sky. 

“Nice to meet you,” she said, shaking their hands. “We’ll be starting in a few minutes, if you guys want to start moving to the carpet.”

“Sounds good. Thank you,” Steve said, smiling warmly and heading over to the blocks. “Alright guys, time to head to the carpet, they’re going to start soon.”

Pete looked at Christine. “Wanna knock it down?”

Christine nodded, and together they toppled the tower they had built, bringing it down with a large crash.

“Alright, blocks in the tub and then to the carpet,” Steve said, scooping up the blocks and putting them in the tub while Tony watched from the wall. 

Once the blocks were clean, Steve led them over to the carpet and they sat, Steve and Tony standing behind them.

“Hello everyone, let’s get started. Welcome, welcome. Let’s start with a welcome song.” She clapped her hands together. 

And so the next hour went, filled with songs and stories and crafts, which the parents joined in on to varying degrees.  
When they were done, they gathered the crafts they had made and slid them into a small bag provided by Shirley. 

“Did we want to go look around the museum for a bit?”

“Sure!” Pete said, taking Steve’s hand. 

They wandered around for a bit, Pete taking Christine’s hand and letting go of Steve’s to lead her around. After a while Christine started to get visibly tired, dragging her feet and latching onto Tony’s hand. 

“I think it’s about time for us to go home,” Steve said, taking Pete’s hand in his. Tony picked Christine up, letting her rest her head on his shoulder. 

“Just one more hall?” Pete asked.

“Sure, one more,” Steve said, letting Tony fall behind, Christine fast asleep on his shoulder. 

Steve and Pete rejoined Tony a little while later, and together they all went to the car. It was a quiet ride home, Christine only waking when they pulled into the tower. 

“Welcome to the tower,” Pete said when he saw her eyes were open. “We’re here!” 

Tony opened Christine’s door and helped her out of the car while Steve grabbed her bag from the trunk. 

“We’ll head up to our floor, drop Christine’s bag in your room, and then we thought we’d have pizza on our floor, tonight.”

“No family dinner?” Pete asked. 

“We thought it’d be nice if it was just the four of us for tonight. Maybe we’ll have family dinner tomorrow.”

“Okay.”

As they stepped into the elevator, Pete looked up. “F.R.I.D.A.Y., this is my friend Christine!”

“Hello, Christine,” F.R.I.D.A.Y. said smoothly. “It’s nice to meet you.”

Christine’s hand tightened on Tony’s as she looked around. 

“Where is you?”

“F.R.I.D.A.Y. is an artificial intelligence installed in the tower. She’s kind of like a robot computer that controls everything in the tower.”

“’Kay,” Christine said, giving a side-eye to the air around her. 

“She won’t hurt you,” Steve assured her. Far from looking reassured, however, Christine merely nodded. 

When they arrived on their floor, the doors slid silently open, letting them out without F.R.I.D.A.Y.’s customary announcement of their arrival. 

“What kind of pizza do you like?” Tony asked Christine as they walked into the living room. 

“Cheese, please,” she said, grinning at her rhyme. 

“Cheese it is,” Tony said, sitting down on one of the sofas. “Pete, the usual?”

“Yes, please.”

“Steve?”

“Meatlovers.”

“Got it.”

“Can I show Christine our room?”

“Sure, let’s go do that while Tony orders food.”

Steve let Pete and Christine lead the way to the room, where they had painstakingly set up a small cot for Christine to sleep on the one night she would be with them. 

“This is your bed,” Pete said proudly after flicking on the lights to his room. “It’s right beside mine. That way if you get scared I’ll be right there.” They had talked with Pete about how Christine might get scared in a new place and how to help her with that. 

“Thank you,” she said. “You has a nice room.” 

“Thanks! Remember this robot?” Pete went over to where the robot that Tony had gotten him now rested on his bookshelf. “He lives here now. I have lots of books.”

“Did you guys want to play in here until dinner?”

“Sure,” Pete answered, sitting down on his bed. “Wanna colour?”

Steve left them to it, going back into the living room. 

“Not a bad first day, hm?” He asked, sitting down and slinging his arm over the back of the sofa. 

“Not bad at all.” Steve got a pensive look in his eye. 

“Watcha thinking about?” Tony knocked his head into Steve’s shoulder affectionately. 

“How comfortable you were with Christine today.” Steve looked sideways at Tony. “Her and Pete get on well.”

“Steve, we just adopted Pete,” Tony protested, but his argument was a weak one.

“I’m just saying, what’s one more?”


End file.
